Stalked
by ytilaturb
Summary: You never know who is watching...


STALKED

_You never know who is watching..._

In a small two bedroom house in a nice neighborhood, Casey MacDonald lived with her three year old son, Crow. She went to a community college where they provided day care for students with children, and worked as a waitress down the street from her house. She was a few years behind in school because she had gotten pregnant at a young age, but she was still going to continue on with her education. It was just her and her son making it through each day together. And everytime she saw her beautiful son, she always thought of his father. And as you could probably guess, Crow's father was Derek Venturi. And even though Derek had a child, he was hardly around, so she was pretty much alone, and she had too much pride to ask for help.

Well, technically she wasn't alone. She had a pure bred German Sheppard, trained to protect, named Harvard. She had gotten him from Derek because he wanted her to have some sort of protection because she refused to have a gun in her house with a child. If Harvard didn't know someone he would sit right in front of them and wouldn't let the person move unless Casey said otherwise. And wherever Casey or Crow went, Harvard followed like he was trained to do. And he slept in the middle of the hallway in front of the front door at night, but mostly in front of the baby's room.

And Casey always thought she was safe. Until the phone calls began.

It was around six on a Friday night. She was making dinner for her son and studying at the same time and she heard her phone ring. But when she checked to see who was calling her, the number didn't show up. She always made a rule for herself that she would never answer blocked phone calls. She always thought that if someone had called and they didn't leave a message, the it probably wasn't that important. But this time, she answered it.

"Hello?" She answered. There was no one there. There were no back ground noises or anything of the sort. All she heard was heavy breathing and it sent chills up and down her back. And before she could say another word, she heard the click, ending the call.

There was a knock on the door and it made her jump and Harvard bark. She looked out the window and saw Derek's black car parked in front of her house.

She opened the door and he walked in. Crow ran up to his father in excitement and Derek picked him up in a big hug.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked.

"I wanted to see my son,"

"You aren't busy with a case or something?"

He put his squirming son down and looked at his ex fiance, "Please don't do this bitter act again, Casey," he pleaded, "I don't do anything to you,"

"You have a career," she said to him.

"And I have my career for you and Crow believe it or not,"

"For me? Yeah right,"

"Put your pride aside for about five minutes and just accept the fact that I help you,"

"You're never around," she argued.

"You don't let me,"

She shook her head and sighed.

"Did you call me before you got here?"

"No, why?"

"You didn't call me from a blocked number?"

"Casey, I'm a P.I, you really think I'm gonna call you from a blocked number?"

She just shook her head as her answer.

"Look, I have the weekend off and I was thinking that you and I could take Crow to the zoo,"

"I don't have money for the zoo," she said to him.

"I'll cover it, I want you to go. We need to do something as a family,"

_December 19th _

A few days had gone by and Casey didn't receive anymore blocked phone calls. She thought that maybe it was just a prank from one of her friends at school. But it wasn't until she got an instant message from an unknown user she started to worry.

She was in her living room researching a paper and messaging Lizzie and another chat box popped up.

She clicked on it.

_'I love you in those shorts.'_

Her heart dropped. It was ten o'clock at night and she was alone. And if someone was around her house, Harvard would have let her know. But she was more scared at the fact that this person, who ever it was, knew what she was wearing. She looked around her house and set her laptop aside. She walked over to the only window that had curtains open and she closed them. She went over to the back door, made sure it was locked and did the same with the front. She knew the windows were locked because it was already winter so there was no need for them to be open at all. When she got back to the couch, she saw another message.

_'Why'd you close the curtains?'_

'Who is this?'

_'Wanna come out and play?'_

'Seriously, who is this?'

And suddenly, the user was offline. She was a little freaked out, but she let it go. It could have been anyone. Hell, it could have been Derek because he knew all too well that she always wore little black dancer shorts to bed, every night.

When she decided to call it a night, she set the alarms in her house and checked on her son. When she saw that he was sound asleep, she headed off to bed as well.

_December 20th _

Casey got out of her car and opened the back door for her son to climb out. He ran up to the front door and waited for his mother. She was at the mailbox and she pulled out a big brown envelope. There was no return address on it or a postage stamp. So clearly someone had just slipped it into her mailbox. Out of curiosity, she tore open the envelope.

She pulled out pictures. She scanned through a few of them and saw that they were pictures of her. Pictures of her in her house.

"Momma!"

Casey looked at her son and simply put the pictures in her bag and walked to the front door.

She chose not to tell Derek just yet because she knew if she told him, it would just draw more attention to herself and her son. And she didn't want that.

And later that night, she got a phone call from a blocked number. She answered it.

"Hello?"

"Did you like the pictures?"

"Who is this?" She asked.

"You look very pretty tonight," the voice said. The voice sounded like it could be in a scary movie. It actually felt like one to Casey at the moment. "Can you come out and play?"

"I will if you tell me who you are," she said, as calmly as she could.

"Have you checked on your son?"

Suddenly, she was fearing her life and her sons life.

"He's not here," she lied.

"Then why am I looking at him, right now? I like the Batman pajamas,"

And Casey hung up the phone. She then went through her contacts and texted her neighbor and asked him to come over. His name was Todd and he was an MMA fighter and she knew that he kept an eye on her and Crow. She had told him to just come in, but to do it quietly.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"I just got a phone call from someone saying that he was looking at Crow," she whispered. "Can you check in his room?"

He did nothing but creep into her sons room. He peaked in and turned on the light. He saw Crow sleeping and the only window in his room, locked with the curtains closed. He looked under his bed and saw nothing. And suddenly, he turned to the closet.

He crept towards it and threw open the door.

Nothing.

"Casey, there's nothing here,"

She sighed and shook her head.

"I'm gonna stay here tonight," he insisted. "Just because you have Harvard here, I just wanna make sure you're okay tonight,"

"The voice said that he was looking at Crow and that they like his Batman pajamas,"

"And it could be anyone who knows you, I mean, hell, I know that Crow has a million pairs of Batman pajamas,"

_December 21st _

Casey was on her way back from the grocery store with Crow in the back seat. Suddenly, she saw a white truck move to the lane she was in. And she didn't really think much of the truck considering she was on a busy road. And she didn't think much of it when the truck made the same left hand turn Casey did. But she started to worry when the truck followed every turn she made through her neighborhood. And she panicked when the truck stopped at her house after she pulled in.

She silently thanked her dad for having her windows tinted too. She knew that whoever was in the truck couldn't see her or her son. She turned around in her seat and looked out the back window. She was trying to see who was in the truck but she couldn't see anything. She was just about to call Derek but when she looked up from her phone, she saw the truck driving away. And it was too quick for her to get down the plate.

She sighed in defeat and got out of her car. She helped her son get out of the car too and noticed the truck was now on the other side of the road, facing her. She shut her son's door, locked her car up, and rushed to the front door of her house. She opened the door as fast as she could. Crow ran in first and Casey shut the door quickly behind her. She locked every lock on the door. She rushed around the house and checked all the lucks through out the house.

Harvard followed her every move. And Crow looked at his mother with curiosity.

"Momma, what're you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing sweetie," she smiled at him.

"I'm hungry,"

Her heart dropped.

She forgot to grab the few groceries that were in her car. She went over to the living room window and cautiously peaked out. She didn't see the white truck anywhere. It was no where in sight. So she took her chance and raced to get the groceries.

_December 22nd _

Casey was watching Crow put up decorations on their Christmas tree and taking pictures of him doing it. Casey had a classmate over and they were drinking hot chocolate.

"So how have you been?" Gage asked.

"I'm okay," she told him.

"Case,"

"So you know I'm lying," Casey said.

"We've been friends even before Crow was born, hell I was there when he was conceived,"

"Gage!" She said shocked, "I can't believe you,"

"Okay, so I was in the next room. But I might as well have been there, you were loud enough.."

She glared at him and he simply laughed. And after a moment of silence in the room, Casey finally decided to tell Gage what was going on. She watched Gage get up from his seat and pick Crow up so he could put the star on top of the tree.

"Gage?"

"Yeah,"

"I need to tell you something," she said softly. "But not in front of Crow,"

Gage nodded and turned on cartoons for Crow. He grabbed Casey's hand and led her into the kitchen.

"Okay, what is going on?" He asked.

"I think I'm being harassed,"

"You think? How do you not know,"

"Well, I don't wanna take it to the extreme,"

"What's been going on?" He asked her.

"I've been getting phone calls, but nothing creepy," she lied. She didn't want to scare him because she knew how protective he is of her.

"What kinda calls,"

"Oh, you know," she said with a laugh, "what's your favorite scary movie, wanna die tonight,"

Gage's eyes grew wide in shock and fear.

"I'm kidding!" She said to him. "Nothing you need to worry about,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she lied, "I'm sure,"

_December 23rd_

It was Friday. For Derek, it was the longest day of the week. But little did he know, it was about to be longer.

Derek walked out of the elevator and onto the floor he worked on. When he walked into the main office that was filled with tons of cubicles, everyone went silent. He was kind of confused but he went into his office anyways. He heard whispers from his coworkers and chose to ignore them. Suddenly there was a knock on his office door. He looked up and saw his partner, Drake, walk in.

"There's a new case," he said.

"What is it," Derek asked, turning on his computer.

When there was no answer, he looked at his partner and saw worry in his features.

"What is it?"

"It's Crow," Drake said with a shaky voice, "he was kidnapped,"

Derek's world crashed around him. He wanted to yell and scream, be he knew that he had to stay calm.

"When?"

"This morning," Drake said, "your called us. He said he tried to call you but your phone was off,"

"What about Casey?"

"I thought that you should call her, and we already have someone over at your dads house,"

"I'll call Casey," Derek said.

Drake did nothing but walk out of his partners office. Derek picked of the phone and called Casey. It was early in the morning but he knew that she would answer.

"Hello?"

"Case, I need you to meet me at your mom's,"

"Why?" She asked.

"Just meet me there,"

"Okay," she said, hesitantly, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes,"

**xxx**

Derek walked out of his office and headed to his parents house. When he got there, there was already a unit there and Casey had just pulled up to the house. He had no idea that her mom had called her right after he got off the phone with her. She rushed out of her car and rushed into her parents house. She bumped into Derek and she began crying, hysterically. Derek felt her falling, so he simply dropped with her to the floor, just holding her while she sobbed.

After she had calmed down, it was time to ask questions. And Derek chose to ask her.

"Is there anyone you can think of?" He asked her.

"No,"

"Had anything weird been going on prior to this?"

"No," she said, "well, kinda,"

"What do you mean kinda," Derek asked. "Casey, I need you to tell me if anything had happened before this morning,"

"I've had messages sent to me online, and a few phone calls,"

"When?"

"A few days ago," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me, Casey?" Derek demanded.

"I didn't want you to worry,"

"God damn it, Casey! What the hell happened?" He shouted, slamming his hand on the kitchen table at his parents house.

"Don't yell at me Derek! That's the last thing I need right now! My son was taken from me and I have no fucking clue where he is!"

"_Our_ son was taken from _us, _not just you, us. Now I need you to tell me what happened,"

She sighed and tried to relax more.

"That Friday you showed up, I got a phone call. But it was just heavy breathing," she said. Derek nodded and wrote down what she was saying. He was also recording it too. "A few days later, I got an instant message from an unknown user, and they commented on the shorts I was wearing that night,"

"Were there any windows open?"

"Just one," she said, "it was snowing outside and I was watching it fall,"

"What next," Derek asked.

"I closed the curtains and when I went back to my computer, I had another message asking why I had closed them," she paused for a moment before she spoke again, "and I thought it was a joke from one of my friends until they asked if I wanted to come out and play,"

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, I got pictures in the mail,"

"Where are they,"

"In my car," she said.

"What else," he stated, knowing that there was more.

"I got one more phone call," she said quietly.

"Male or female,"

"It was a male, the voice was very deep and raspy, almost sounded like a heavy smoker," she described, "he asked if I liked the pictures and if I had checked on Crow,"

"Had you?"

"Yes, minutes before I got the call," she said to her ex, "and I tried to lie and say that he wasn't with me but then he commented on his Batman pajamas. And then I texted my neighbor to come over and he crashed on the couch after he checked Crow's room."

"Did he see anything?" Derek asked.

"No, I was in there, we both saw nothing,"

"What's his name?"

"Todd Wahler,"

Derek scribbled down a few notes before he pushed stop on the tape recorder. He looked up at Casey and sighed.

"Have you looked at the pictures?"

"Just the first one, I couldn't look at the rest," she said, "you can get them out of my car if you want,"

Derek said nothing. He just got up from his seat and went to Casey's car. He saw the envelope and pulled out the pictures. He flipped through them. He saw photos of Casey in her house in her most intimate moments, and he cringed. Then he saw photos of his son at day care, playing outside with other kids. Photos of Casey by herself, walking out of school and work, there were even a few photos of her in the library at school. Photos of his son and Casey at their parents house. And photos of the three of them at the zoo.

He didn't know what to think. All he knew was that some sick pervert has been stalking Casey. It was ten times worse now that their son was gone.

All he could do was to do everything in his power to bring his son back.

Suddenly, there was a light tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw his little sister, Marti looking at him. She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to her room.

"Okay, I need to tell you something,"

"Why couldn't you just tell me downstairs?" Derek asked.

"Because, if Casey hears she'll go more crazy than she is now,"

"Okay, you have my attention,"

Marti sighed, and readied herself for what was to come from her brother.

"Okay, this morning, after I checked to see if Crow was awake, there was a knock on the door," she said as her brother was writing everything his sister was saying down on his notepad. "When I opened it, there was a blonde girl, about your age, and she said that she was returning a cook book to Nora."

"Is there anything you can tell me about her?" Derek asked.

"She had green eyes, um, oh, she had three tattoos. One on the inside of both wrists, and if I remember correctly they meant 'strength' and 'beauty' in French, and the third tattoo was like a half sleeve on her right arm,"

"Anything else?" Derek asked her.

"She was wearing a Starbucks shirt with jeans and red converse, and her name tag read Sarah," she said, "and then when I went to wake Crow up, he was gone,"

Derek nodded and wrote down everything. He looked at his sister and she gave him a hug.

"Don't worry Smerek, he'll be fine,"

"Thanks, Smarti,"

After talking to Marti, Derek went outside his parents house and found his partner.

"Stone," Derek called out.

"Yeah,"

"My sister just gave us a lead,"

"Really," he stated.

"Yeah, we're looking for a girl, early twenties, green eyes, blonde hair, name is Sarah. Marti said she had a Starbucks shirt on,"

"What do you wanna do?"

"I'll check South to West from the house, you check North to East,"

"Got it," he said before he rushed to his car.

**xxx**

Derek was down to the last Starbucks coffee shop. Drake had checked in with him numerous times letting him know nothing had come up. Derek pulled into the parking lot and got out of his car. When he walked in he saw a blonde girl sitting on the patio smoking. Someone looked at him from the counter and Derek pulled out his badge.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Does a Sarah work here by any chance?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, you walked right past her, she's on the patio,"

And just as Derek turned around, she walked in.

"Are you Sarah?" He asked.

She looked at her name tag and back at Derek, "Last I checked,"

"Derek Venturi, can I have a few words with you?"

"Sarah Connolly," she nodded. "We can talk on the patio,"

She led Derek back outside and they sat down at a table. He pulled out a cigarette and then offered her one. She took it and lit it.

"Do you know Nora MacDonald?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "she and my mom are friends,"

"Were you over there today?"

"Yeah, I returned a cook book. My mom had borrowed it two weeks ago and she didn't have time this morning to drop it off so I brought it over,"

"Did you see anything odd around the house this morning?"

"No," she said shaking her head. Suddenly, Derek saw fear rush across her features. "Is Nora okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Derek said, "her grandson, my son, was kidnapped this morning and you were the one at Nora's house at the time it happened,"

"So you think I have something to do with it?" She asked in disbelief. "I don't even know your son, I've never seen your son in my entire life,"

Derek pulled out a picture of Crow and her eyes grew wide.

"That's your son?" She asked, "No, that's Casey's son..." he saw that her mind was putting two and two together and she looked at him in disgust. "You and Casey are pretty much brother and sister, that's fucking sick,"

"Look, my family is none of your business." Derek snapped, "All I care about is the fact that you were at my step mother's house when my son was kidnapped. What the hell are you not telling me?"

"Nothing," she snapped at him, "I know nothing of what went on this morning. And I didn't even know your son was there,"

Derek glared at her for a moment or two, hoping to get her to crack, but nothing worked.

"Just so you know, I will be talking to you again. And whoever you're covering for about this, which I know you are covering for someone, you'll be charged with being an accomplice to kidnapping and withholding information. It'll be like opening Pandora's box," Derek said, "choose wisely,"

**xxx**

Derek drove back to his families house and sat in his car for a few moments. He hated to admit this, but he knew that some of his friends would probably hate him through out this case. It was protocol for him to question everyone in Casey's life. And if that meant interrogating all her closest friends, then so be it. He took a few slow, deep, breaths before he got out of his car.

He saw Casey sitting on the porch waiting for him. He sat down next to her and pulled out his cigarettes. She grabbed it and pulled two out. She gave him one and lit the other one for herself. He looked at her in slight surprise and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't wanna hear it," she half snapped at him.

"I was just gonna say that I pegged you as a menthol girl is all,"

They sat there together for a few moments before Casey broke the silence.

"Remember all the times we would sneak out your window to smoke on the roof?"

He laughed, "Yeah, we always needed one after,"

"I don't know why either,"

"It's a psychological thing,"

"Mr. Private Investigator knows all," she snarked at him.

"Hey," Derek scolded her, "just because I make more than you doesn't mean you have to make me feel like shit because of it. I'm doing this for you and Crow, and I wanna make sure you two are taken care of,"

"Yeah, and here we are, minus one,"

"I'm gonna find him, Case, I promise you I will," Derek said.

"Even if you do-"

"When I do," Derek corrected her.

"It's still gonna be just me and Crow,"

Derek was getting pissed at that moment. She threw her cigarette out onto the lawn and walked in the house. He just followed her inside his parents house.

"The reason why it's just you and Crow is because of you," Derek snapped. "You got pissed at me because I finished school, but I did it for you so that I could provide for both of you. You wanted nothing to do with me after he was born, all you asked of me was to be in his life and that's what I'm doing," Derek said to her. "You got rid of me,"

"What are you talking about? I didn't tell you to leave, you chose to leave,"

"You told me to leave in so many words," Derek shouted at her, "lemme think about it for a minute, oh yeah, that's right, it was 'I don't want anything to do with you Derek Venturi,' that's exactly what you said,"

"You were already seeing someone else!"

"No! I wasn't!"

"Hey!" Marti screamed. Everyone looked at her in shocked unaware of the fact that such a loud sound could come out of her little body. "Crow is missing and all you two can think about is what happened three years ago? What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Marti," Derek scolded.

"Shut it, Derek," his father snapped at him causing Derek to look in shock.

"We need to be a family and stick together, we shouldn't be fighting with each other," Marti said. "Especially you two, you're his parents, you should be going to the ends of the earth to find him," Marti grabbed her bag that was full of papers and she walked to the door, "Now if you two don't mind, I'm gonna get the community involved in this, and let everyone know that there is some sick bastard in the city,"

"You're not walking by yourself," Derek said.

"Please, I'm sixteen,"

"So?" Derek said to her.

"I have a car now," she said, "besides, I'm picking up Edwin and Lizzie, they're gonna help me,"

And she left.

"I'm gonna go get my dog," Casey said.

"I don't want you going there by yourself," Derek said to her.

"Well we all don't get what we want now do we,"

"Casey, you get in your car, I'm gonna follow you," Derek threatened.

"Fine, then follow me," she snapped at him, "I don't care,"

And all George Venturi could do was watch the two walk out his front door, fighting with each other just like they did in high school.

"Things never change,"

**xxx**

When Casey pulled up to her house, she noticed that Harvard was sitting in the open doorway of her house. She froze. Derek pulled up shortly after and noticed it too. He rushed out of his car and pulled out his gun. When Derek walked up to the door, Harvard went back inside the house and waited for Derek to follow him. Once Derek was inside, he looked down at Harvard and patted his head.

"Go to Casey," he said.

Harvard simply turned around and went outside to Casey. Derek crept through her house with his gun aimed in front of him. He turned around corners quickly, ready to pull the trigger, and he saw something that made his heart drop. He saw someone laying face down in the middle of the hallway.

"Derek?" Casey called out to him but he didn't hear her.

He didn't realize she was next to him until she gasped in horror. He tried to stop her from running to the figure in her hallway but he didn't stop her in time. She ran to the person and fell to her knees. Suddenly, Derek was at her side.

"Don't touch him, whatever you do, don't touch him,"

"Why would someone do this?" Casey sobbed.

Derek grabbed her hands and pulled her up and he ushered her away from the scene. He flipped out his phone and called Drake.

"I need you to come to Casey's house. Get an ambulance too," He walked out to Casey and looked at her, "Who is that?"

"That's Todd,"

"Okay, I want you to pack some clothes and take Harvard to my house," he said, handing her a pair of gloves. "We'll figure this out,"

Suddenly, there was a gasp and a cough and Derek rushed over to him. Todd was barely alive. And before Derek could even think an group of M.T's had rushed into the room. And after getting Todd in the ambulance, he was rushed off the the hospital.

She sighed and took the gloves from him. He then went on his walky talky and called out to H.Q with an address.

"Sharron, get ready to add more to my case,"

"I'll send back up," she said back to him.  
>"It's a part of the kidnapping case I'm on too,"<p>

"Yes, sir,"

Derek sighed in distress before he went out to his car to get his forensics kit. Casey came out of her house with a bag full of clothes. Derek gave her his house key and he watched her leave. He went inside and started his investigation.

**I realize that I shouldn't have started this at all but I was watching something on TV and it made me think of this, lemme know what you think.**


End file.
